Taxonomy Lancelet

the lancelet small, translucent, fish-like animal closest living invertebrate relative of vertebrates.

the cephalochordata traditionally seen sister subphylum vertebrates, grouped clade (sometimes called notochordata) in turn sister group simpler still urochordata. newer research suggests not case. cephalochordata basal subphylum of chordates, while sister group of vertebrates tunicates, known urochordates. however, older molecular studies placed cephalochordates nearer vertebrates, , [m]ost authors regard amphioxus closest relative of vertebrata on basis of 10–15 [morphological] features not seen in tunicates .

the following species recognised itis. other sources, instance tudge, show there might thirty species.

†cathaymyrus shu, conway morris & zhang 1996

†cathaymyrus diadexus shu, conway morris & zhang 1996
†cathaymyrus haikouensis luo & hu 2001


†paleobranchiostoma hamatotergum oelofsen & loock 1981
family asymmetronidae

genus asymmetron andrews 1893 [amphioxides gill 1895; assymetron (sic) kirkaldy 1895; asymetron (sic) zietz 1908]

asymmetron inferum nishikawa 2004
asymmetron lucayanum andrews 1893 (sharptail lancelet) [asymmetron caudatum willey 1896; asymmetron macricaudatum parker 1904; asymmetron orientale parker 1904; amphioxides stenurus goldschmidt 1905; amphioxides valdiviae goldschmidt 1905; branchiostoma pelagicum gunther 1889; branchiostoma valdiviae (goldschmidt 1905); epigonichthys lucayanum (andrews 1893); epigonichthys lucayanus (andrews 1893)]


genus epigonichthys peters 1876 [amphipleurichthys whitley 1932; bathyamphioxus whitley 1932; heteropleuron kirkaldy 1895; merscalpellus whitley 1932; notasymmetron whitley 1932; paramphioxus haekel 1893; zeamphioxus whitley 1932]

epigonichthys australis (raff 1912) [asymetron australis raffe 1912]
epigonichthys bassanus (günther 1884) [branchiostoma bassanum gunther 1884]
epigonichthys cingalensis (kirkaldy 1894); nomen dubium [heteropleuron cingalense kirkaldy 1894]
epigonichthys cultellus peters 1877 [bathyamphioxus franzi whitley 1932; epigonichthys pulchellus gunther 1880; heteropleuron hedleyi haswell 1908; branchiostoma cultellus (peters 1877)]
epigonichthys hectori (benham 1901) (hector’s lancelet) [heteropleuron hectori benham 1901]
epigonichthys maldivensis (foster cooper 1903) [asymmetron maldivensis forster cooper 1903; heteropleuron agassizii parker 1904; heteropleuron maldivense forster cooper 1903; heteropleuron parvum parker 1904]




family branchiostomidae bonaparte 1841

genus branchiostoma costa 1834 non newport 1845 non banks 1905 [amphioxus yarrell 1836; amphioxys agassiz 1846; limax pallas 1774 non linnaeus 1758 non férussac 1819 non martyn 1784; dolichorhynchus willey 1901 non mulk & jairajpuri 1974; dolichorynchus willey 1901; dolichorhamphus (sic) hubbs 1922]

branchiostoma africae hubbs 1927
branchiostoma arabiae webb 1957
branchiostoma bazarutense gilchrist 1923
branchiostoma belcheri gray 1847 (belcher s lancelet)
branchiostoma bennetti boschung & gunter 1966 (mud lancelet)
branchiostoma bermudae hubbs 1922
branchiostoma californiense andrews 1893 (californian lancelet)
branchiostoma capense gilchrist 1902
branchiostoma caribaeum sundevall 1853 (caribbean lancelet)
branchiostoma clonaseum
branchiostoma elongatum sundevall 1852
branchiostoma floridae hubbs 1922 (florida lancelet)
branchiostoma gambiense webb 1958
branchiostoma indicum willey 1901
branchiostoma japonicum willey 1896 (pacific lancelet)
branchiostoma lanceolatum pallas 1774 (european lancelet)
branchiostoma leonense webb 1956
branchiostoma longirostrum boschung 1983 (shellhash lancelet)
branchiostoma malayanum webb 1956
branchiostoma moretonense kelly 1966; nomen dubium
branchiostoma nigeriense webb 1955
branchiostoma platae hubbs 1922
branchiostoma senegalense webb 1955
branchiostoma tattersalli hubbs 1922
branchiostoma virginiae hubbs 1922 (virginian lancelet)








^ gewin, v (2005). functional genomics thickens biological plot . plos biology. 3 (6): e219. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0030219. pmc 1149496 . pmid 15941356. 
^ lancelet (amphioxus) genome , origin of vertebrates ars technica, 19 june 2008.
^ gee, henry (19 june 2008). evolutionary biology: amphioxus unleashed . nature. 453: 999–1000. doi:10.1038/453999a. pmid 18563145. 
^ cite error: named reference putnam invoked never defined (see page).
^ michael j. benton (2005). vertebrate palaeontology, third edition 8. oxford: blackwell publishing. isbn 0-632-05637-1.
^ cite error: named reference reftudgevariety invoked never defined (see page).
^ worms editorial board (2013). world register of marine species- cephalochordates species list . retrieved 2013-10-22. 
^ worms - world register of marine species - epigonichthys peters, 1876 . 
^ unesco-ioc register of marine organisms (urmo) - branchiostoma mortonense kelly, 1966 . 
^ worms - world register of marine species - branchiostoma mortonense kelly, 1966 .